Welcome to the first Dexter cattle blog to disseminate information for members of the Purebred Dexter Cattle Association of North America (PDCA) and for those with a curiosity about Irish Dexter cattle, cattle in general, as well as news from the PDCA. Expressions of opinion are to not be regarded as expressing the official opinion of the PDCA unless expressly stated. Hopefully you will find something here of interest and don't overlook browsing through the archives. Comments are welcomed.

Monday, April 24, 2006

"Cows, Tails, & Trails"

I received a tip about a book, "Cows, Tails, and Trails" that looks interesting. The description reads:

"Frank Lloyd Wright once asked, “Has anyone sung the song of the patient, calf-bearing, milk-flowing, cud-chewing, tail-twitching cow?” Not until Cow Tails & Trails, Frank. This lighthearted but informative book is packed with North American cow facts, lore, and trivia. Both dairy and beef cows are thoroughly discussed and illustrated in large format color photographs and charming period paintings. Classic cow stories, historic cattle drives and trails, the development of cows, cheeses and other cow products are artfully herded together in a celebration of everything bovine."Some of the fun facts:

"There are approximately 96 million cattle in the USA A mature beef cow can produce 75 pounds of manure a day (!) A mature dairy cow 115 pounds a day (!!) There are over 900 different breeds of domestic cattle throughout the world."

A photo of a horned black bull represents the Dexter breed:

"A rare breed in the United States, the tiny but tough Dexter is one of the smallest breeds in the world. They originated in the southern part of Ireland and are believed to be a cross of the Kerry and some other breed. Used for both diary and beef, the Dexter is often called the ideal family cow because of its small size (mature bulls weigh less that 1,000 pounds and measure 38 to 44 inches at the shoulder, while cows weigh less than 750 pounds and measure 36 to 42 inches).""Cows, Tails, & Trails" is published byWillow Creek Press.